"Sun, Sand and Blue, Blue Sea"
Bonaparte 1799 Re-enactment
Introduction
by Steve Vickers and Alfred Umhey
Illustrations by Terri Julians
Photos by First Battalion and Mec Demuth
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By sending Bonaparte to Egypt in 1798 the Directoire had planned to kill two birds with one stone, firstly by distancing a political rival and secondly cutting off Britain's overland route to India. A military force of 50,000 men and 300 ships, plus a team of 167 scientists and artists accompanied the General and were witness to Bonaparte's famous declaration:
In 1804 Saint-Raphaél's town council decided to make this great event an annual celebration. The town council declaration went thus:
The Town Council has therefore unanimously decided that a public celebration shall be held on October 9th of every year to which all types of lay and religious authorities shall be invited. A triumphal arch shall be erected on the site of the disembarkation and at the exact hour this event shall be announced all over France by firing a salute. Public games and dances shall be held and fires lit in front of every house and that the Parish Priest shall be invited to sing a Te Deum in praise" Not only was this narrow stretch of golden sand to be our home for 2 days but it was also to be the site of some of the military encounters during the weekend. Children making sand castles gave way to the allied artillery digging defences in the sand and building wooden slides for the cannon wheels. Luxury yachts normally anchored peacefully in the bay became frigates overnight and sailors were recruited to man long boats to row Bonaparte ashore. Topless bathers with beach balls were replaced by the fully uniformed & armed troops of the Demi-brigades. A more dramatic change in the modern characteristics of this beach could not have been dreamt off.
More Sun, Sand and Blue, Blue Sea
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To complete the European Napoleonic Society's 1999 bicentennial campaign calendar we travelled to the South of France, to Saint-Raphaël, to re-create Bonaparte's landing at this modern-day Mediterranean holiday resort. On the morning of October 9th 1799, seventeen months after having left France for Egypt, General Bonaparte entered the Bay of Saint Raphaël. As he watched from the ship's bow, an enthusiastic crowd cheered his return, while others dived into the water to carry him triumphantly back to land. From that moment onwards the die was cast and the General began his unstoppable rise which ultimately led him to the Emperor's throne.
The campaign's progression was temporarily halted by the siege of Haïfa. Forced to Cairo and having learned that France was menaced by a new invasion which would threaten his previous conquests, Bonaparte left Kléber in command of his army and decided to return to France as quickly as possible. On board the frigate "La Muiron", Bonaparte miraculously escaped the powerful British Navy and arrived in Saint-Raphaël on October 9th 1799.
"The Mayor considers that an annual fair on October 9th of every year is an inadequate tribute to the return of this great man from Egypt to our port…………
Saint-Raphaël is situated on the South coast of France between Cannes and Saint-Tropez in the Côte d'Azur province and is joined to the smaller town of Frejus. Typical of this area are the glorious sandy beaches and large hotels accommodating holiday makers from all over the world. The combined armies bivouac was situated on one such sandy beach with the wonderful blue sea just brushing the edges of some of the tents. For the huge crowds' comfort row upon row of tiered seating had been erected along the whole length of the beach. The atmosphere was very much like a football stadium.